Adelaide Cabaret Festival 2023 Icon Award presented to Hans

A certain German superstar of stage and screen has become the latest recipient of the Adelaide Cabaret Festival’s icon award.

Honey, it’s official: Adelaide’s own international “German” superstar of stage and screen, Hans, is now an icon.

The man behind the makeup and former Sunday Mail columnist Matt Gilbertson was presented with the Adelaide Cabaret Festival 2023 Icon Award during its opening variety gala at the Festival Theatre on Friday night.

Adelaide Cabaret Festival 2023 Icon Award winner Hans (Matt Gilbertson) on stage at the Festival Theatre. Picture: Claudio Raschella

Hans – who claims his sequin hotpants contain the world’s most delicious Berliner buns – joins a prestigious list of past recipients including Reg Livermore, Rhonda Burchmore, Robyn Archer, Debra Byrne, Meow Meow, David Campbell and Paul Capsis.

Cabaret Festival executive producer Alex Sinclair said Hans was a “long and loyal friend” of the event and its venue.

“Matt Gilbertson – Hans – encompasses everything that makes a cabaret artist glitter; wit, charm, musicality, talent, tenacity, and the special ability to make audiences belly laugh,” Ms Sinclair said.

“We are sure South Australians will join us in celebrating Matt’s incredible contribution to the

entertainment and arts industry locally, nationally and around the world.”

Adelaide Cabaret Festival 2023 Icon Award winner Hans (Matt Gilbertson) at the Adelaide Festival Centre. Picture: Claudio Raschella

Adelaide Cabaret Festival 2023 Icon Award winner Hans (Matt Gilbertson) at the Adelaide Festival Centre. Picture: Claudio Raschella

The award follows a traumatic year for Gilbertson, when he was hospitalised in Turkey and London for months after falling 4m from a stage while performing on a cruise ship, shattering his foot and ankle and suffering five fractures to his spine.

Hans’ fame spread around the world when he made the finals of America’s Got Talent in 2018, watched by a TV audience of 16 million in the US.

“Darling, I went there to make America glitter again,” he said.